[Raptor]

I don't think it is a bad business idea for a shop to front the labor until job completion. The parts and services that the shop has to cover should be covered by the customer as the job progresses on at least the larger jobs, (more than a few days). That is how we deal with it and it works fine. The labor is paid at the end of the job and if for any reason the customer backs out, shops do have recourses to collect what is owed. We don't release cars until the invoices are covered as well as most other shops. If you did agree to cary a balance on a car and the customer tried to bail out on it, a shop has the option of having a mechanics lean put on the car within a certain timeframe. Most of the time, the customers don't give too much of a hassle paying the bills you give them if they are informed of any additional charges as you go. Most of the time, this all works just fine.

As far as the situation with Mikes engine and Magnus, I don't believe him paying the bill any differently would have effected the issues at hand and it shouldn't.